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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Precious to God

Those precious to God become important to Satan. ~ Denver Moore in "Same Kind of Different as Me"

I found this quote in a book about a homeless man and an art dealer meeting and becoming more than just friends, they become family. Denver's words, full of wisdom, give a dire warning to any that chooses to truly follow Jesus. For those that become popular with Him, also become popular to Satan and his legions . This may makes us second guess our loyalty. But at Matthew 10:38 states: Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. What true and strong words spoken by our Savior. He wants all of us and in return He gives us all of Him. We can only offer our measly and broken selves, but He offers a perfect and supreme Being. We offer a feeble sacrifice, He offers a perfect and holy sacrifice.

In Ephesians 6:10-17 it says: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Paul provides us a list of the armor God gives us, but as a soldier must keep his gear clean and ready, so must we. Evil will come to us as Christians, sometimes disguised in beauty or in light, and we must be ready.

How to be ready:
1. Belt of Truth - Stop lying to yourself. Of course you shouldn't lie to others, but lying to ourselves is more subtle and acting subtly is the Devil's favorite war approach. What does that mean? What sin is recurring in your life? Face it and deal with it. Whether it be lust, pornography, gluttony, pride, greed, cussing, anger, addiction to anything; give it to God. These sins weaken you and in those weaknesses, Satan attacks most ferociously. What takes up most of your time? If it is TV, facebook, the internet, work, cleaning then get your priorities straightened out.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness - Righteousness has everything to do with external behavior and the condition of your heart. It has to do with actions and the heart of your actions. How do you behave around Christians and non-Christians? Are you compassionate? What kind of language do you use? What kind of movies do you see? What kind of thoughts stir in your mind? All these are questions to ask yourself to find out your righteousness. In James 5:16b it says: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. And Proverbs 15:29 it says: The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. The breastplate covers all the vital organs, and prayer cannot cover you if you are not being heard.

3. Feet fitted with the peace of the Gospel - If your feet are shaky, you cannot stand. If there is no peace in your feet, you will fall. Worry and fear can gnaw at your spiritual feet and make you less sturdy. They will make you hesitate when it is time to act. The most important thing for a foot soldier was to keep his feet dry and healthy, because if he "lost" his feet, he lost his mobility and ultimately his effectiveness. Stand firm on God's peace and be ready. In Philippians 4:7 it says: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4. Shield of Faith - When the arrows of attack come, it is your faith that protects you. When the troubles and tribulations come, it is your faith that keeps the enemy from hurting you. Your shield must be big and sturdy and lack any holes or tears. If there are holes or tears, rest assured that is where Satan will attack. What helps tremendously is to remember what God already has done for you. Remember what God did for you in times past. Remember the miracles that have been worked in your life already and know that He will not abandon you now. Write down verses and have them ready that have given you strength. If He got you out of the mire before, He will do so again.

5. Helmet of Salvation - Doubting your salvation and your worthiness is a tactic Satan uses to keep you sedentary. If you doubt your salvation you will not fight any fight. If you doubt your worthiness, you have already lost so why even continue to do His work? If you don't know you're saved, ask Jesus to enter your life and believe in Him. Believe that He loves you and ask for forgiveness of your sins. If you have to do that everyday, do it! Jesus died on the cross for you and took your place on the cross, that instead of God seeing a sinner, He sees a ready saint! Quit doubting your salvation and do something for Him. No one is an atheist in the foxhole!

6. Sword of the Spirit - This is our weapon. Everything else that is given to us is primarily used as a source of protection, but the sword is an offensive weapon. Memorize scripture when combating against sin or spiritual afflictions. Know that there is no other truth except God's word. Many have tried to prove that it is false, but all have fallen short. Lean on its wisdom, on its power and on its light. Read your Bible everyday, it doesn't matter what, just read it!

Those who are precious to Him, are important to Satan. Don't go against Satan without being prepared.